Seven Frames of Reference
Senior Architectural Design Projects
Architecture + The Environment
Design Performance Objective |
Architecture + The Environment
Climatically responsive design; passive heating and cooling; solar control; energy performance analyses
2a: Hotel Avila “Living Machine”. Living machine designed to serve an eco-hotel complex; whimsically designed and centrally located to invite eco-education of visitors to the hotel. [Michaell Novak]
2b: Affordable Housing, Fremont, CA. Design section demonstrating passive design principles and calculations for thermal mass. [Jon Tsurui]
2c: Cohousing + Agri-Living, Sonora, CA. Design section demonstrating passive design principles [Tammy Straw + Carrie Lamastus]
2d: Cohousing + Agri-Living, Sonora, CA. Qualitative view of the cohousing units (to accompany 2c, the section). [Tammy Straw + Carrie Lamastus]
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Students: as noted |
| Software / Tools: |
Digital Modeling Software |
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Arch 481 Senior Architectural Design Project Studio/
Arch 492 Senior Design Thesis Seminar
Architecture + The Environment
Philosophy
Sensitive architectural solutions respect and should celebrate the environment. This includes an appreciation for the local (geographies, bioregions, seasons, micro-climates, etc.) as well as a response to the global (energy sources and resources, etc.). Because buildings are energy consumptive, this is an arena in which architects have the opportunity to innovate, with the aim of achieving “carbon neutral” buildings by 2030 as posed by the Architecture 2030 Challenge. Learning from the past, learning from other cultures, and taking advantage of technological innovations, architects can design resourceful, delightful environments.
Design Performance Objective
Demonstrate ecological responsiveness (given the particular nature of each project). Climatically responsive design is the minimum requirement.
• course and project outline
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Investigative Strategy |
Physical and digital modeling to investigate: energy performance, daylighting, solar control, qualitative explorations (in pursuit of “venustas”), etc.
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Evaluation Process |
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Demonstrate learning from the digital and/or physical modeling for both qualitative and quantitative aspects of the project. Redesign. Remodel. Continue the iterative process until the project is complete.
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Evaluative Criteria |
Demonstrate an ecologically sensitive design response that engages the environment in a proactive (rather than a reactive) manner. Demonstrate building performance through the use of physcial and digital analysis, as appropriate for the scope and scale of the given project.
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Cautions - Possible Confusions |
Students agility at demonstrating building performance is improving, particularly with improved access to appropriate performance modeling tools. Evidence of performance modeling earlier in the design process in order to elicit more responsive design proposals is the current emphasis (rather than modeling at the end of the process, as a method of simply recording the end result). |
Range of Applicability in terms of CLIMATE |
ALL |
Range of Applicability in terms of TYPE |
ALL |
Reference Material (Partial List) |
Guzowski, Mary, Daylighting for Sustainable Design (New York: McGraw Hill, 1999).
Heschong, Lisa, Thermal Delight in Architecture (MIT Press, 1979).
Kwok, Allison, and Walter Gronzik, The Green Studio Handbook (Architectural Press, 2006).
McDonough, William and Michael Braungart, Cradle To Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things (New York: North Point Press, 2002).
Mazria, Edward, “It’s the Architecture, Stupid!” (Solar Today, May/June 2003, p. 48-51).
Mazria, Edward, Passive Solar Energy Book (Emmaus: Rodale Press, 1979)
Millet, Marietta, Light Revealing Architecture (New York: Wiley + Sons, 1996).
Stein, Reynolds, Grondzik, Kwok, Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings, 10th Ed. (New York: John Wiley + Sons, 2006).
Wines, James, Green Architecture (Koln: Taschen, 2000).
Yeang, Ken, Ecodesign: A Manual for Ecological Design (Academy Press, 2006).
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Duration of Exercise |
The duration of the entire thesis sequence is 30 weeks. Projects are continuously reviewed and publically presented, including watershed presentations at: week 9, week 13, week 16, week 19, week 22, week 28, and week 29. Three thesis books are required (week 10, week 20, week 30). Final projects are documented in thesis books, due week 30.
Climate analyses and general performance goals due at week 10. Schematic performance models currently due at week 19, 22, 28, and 29. Final due week 30. |
Degree of Difficulty / Previous Knowledge Required |
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Homeless Youth Facility, Portland, OR. Sun study.
[Casey Owen]
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